Retracting type theater chair



J. L, T J. G. PROSSER ETAL 2,496,132

RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed June 26, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l j firaddoc/K Filed June 26, 1946 4 Sheets- Sheet 3 II I I Elva/u cwbow Joseph 6" PtoJJev,

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Ikamas M Pvosseaz' arty/wan Patented Jan. 31 1950 RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Joseph G. Presser and Thomas W. Prosser, Pasadena, Calif., assignors to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 26, 1946, Serial No. 679,355 3 Claims. (c1.155--11s) The present invention relates to chairs, and more particularly to chairs of the retracting type adapted for installation in theatres, auditoriums and the like, and this application is a continuation in part of our co-pending application Serial No. 679,354, filed June 26, 1946,

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a novel theatre chair of the retracting type wherein the chair occupant may move the seat and back rearwardly thus to increase the space in front of him and facilitate the passage of other theatre patrons in front of him without his having to rise from his seat; to provide such a chair in which the normal angular inclination of the chair seat during its forward and rearward movements may be maintained constant or varied as desired with only slight modification of the chair structure; to provide such a chair whose rearwardly-upwardly inclined back approaches the vertical as the chair is moved rearwardly thus efiecting a minimal reduction of space to the rear of the chair when the same is retracted; to provide such a chair whose seat is independently turnable to a raised position of non-use; and to provide such a chair which is sturdy in construction, reasonably economical in manufacture, and attractive in appearance.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 1-4 of the accompanying drawings, and modifications thereof are shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a left hand side elevational view of a theatre chair constructed according to the present invention, the standard therefor being broken away to reveal the operating mechanism, certain parts thereof being shown in section taken on line |I of Figure 2, and the chair being shown in its forward position of occupancy;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the left hand portion of the chair;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 and showing the chair in its retracted position;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of parts of the chair, taken on line 4--4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a partially diagrammatic left hand side elevational view of a modified construction of the chair; the parts thereof being shown in their forward positions in full lines and in their retracted positions in dotted lines;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, partially diagrammatic left hand side elevational view of another modified construction; and

Figure '7 is a similar view of a further modified construction. I

Referring now in detail to these drawings and particularly to Figures 1-4 thereof, the chair therein shown comprises a seat I and back 2 conventional upholstered construction, and the standards 3 are secured to the floor by conventional means such as bolts 5 passing through lugs 6 on these standards.

A pair of supporting links I is pivotally connected to the standards 3 respectively, each link having a boss 8 at its lower end turnably mounted on a stud 9 on the standard 3 and secured on said stud by means of a nut I0 threaded on the end of the stud 9. The upper end of each supporting link I is pivotally connected to the forward end of a substantially horizontally disposed member I I forming part of a carrier generally designated I2 and comprising this member I I and a depending side plate I3 secured to the member I I as by bolts I4 having nuts I5 on their inner ends. The lower end of each of the side plates I3 is provided with an inwardly turned flange I6, and the flanges I6 of the side plates I3 on opposite sides of the chair are connected by means of a horizontal bar I! secured to said flanges I6 as by means of bolts I8 passing downwardly through aligned apertures in the bar and in the flanges. Nuts I9 are threaded on the lower ends of the bolts I8 to thus secure these parts in assembly.

The chair seat I is turnably mounted on the horizontal bar I! by means of hinges 2U. Tension springs 2| having their forward ends secured to the horizontal bar I1 and their rearward ends secured to the rear of the chair seat I may be provided for normally urging the seat to a raised position of non-use.

The chair back 2 is secured as by means of rivets 22 to back mounting bars 23 at the opposite sides thereof, said bars 23 being turnably mounted at their lower ends on a rod 24 extending through apertures in the bars 23 and through apertures in the side plates I3. Cotter pins 25 in the opposite ends of the rod 24 secure these parts in assembly.

The rearward ends of the carriers I2 are forwardly-rearwardly movably supported on guide rollers 26 turnably mounted on studs 21 on the opposite chair standards 3. Noiseless annular bearing members 28 of fiber or the like (see Figure 4) are preferably interposed between the studs 21 and rollers 26, and the rollers are secured on the studs 2'! by means of nuts 29 threaded on the inner ends of said studs. Ways 30 in the undersides of the members II, engage flanges on the upper surfaces of the rollers 26. The carriers I2 and the seat I and back 2 carried thereby are thus free to be moved by the chair occupant rearwardly from their positions shown in Figure 1 to their retracted positions shown in Figure 3, and returned by the occupant to forward positions.

Annular stop members 3|, 32 secured on threaded studs 33, 34 by means of nuts 35, 36 respectively, limit the forward and rearward movements of each supporting link I and the chair is thus stopped in its full forward position or in its full rearwardly retracted position.

Back actuating links 31 at opposite sides of the chair each has its rearward end pivotally connected to a back mounting bar 23 and its forward end pivotally connected to asupporting link I in one of several selective apertures 38 for attachment. The normal angular tilt of the back as seen in Figure 1 may be varied according to.

the attachment aperture 38 selected, and it will be seen that as the chair is rearwardly retracted the back actuating link 3i efiectsa turningmovement of the back about the rod 24 so thatthe back assumes a near vertical position in the retracted position of the chair shown in Figure 2, thus to minimize the space occupied by the chair in its retracted position.

It will be particularly observed that there is no direct connection between the chair back and the supporting standards, The back is mounted on and supported solely by the carriers l2; All parts of the back thus move rearwardly with respect to the standards, the movement of the lower part of the back being substantially-coextensive with that or" the seat while the rearward movement of the upper part of the back is lessened by the action of the back-actuating links 3? to thus conserve space. This is an ideal movement of the back for retraction because it reduces or eliminates pinching action between the seat and back such as occurs in retracting chairs wherein there is a direct connection between the back and the supporting standards.

Figure 5 diagrammatically illustrates a modi fled form of the chair in which the parts are identical to those shown in Figures 1-4 except for the members i l at opposite sides of the chair, in the undersides of which members are ways of cammed formation. These ways 3G extend forwardly and downwardly, then upwardly. It will be seen that as this chair is retracted rearwardly through its intermediate position (shown in dotted lines) to its fully retracted position (not shown), the rearward ends of the carriers I2 will rise and then fall during their travel over the rollers 25 in substantially the same degree as the forward ends of these carriers are caused to rise and fall by the arcuate movement of the upper ends of the supporting links 1 The chair seat I and back 2 are thus maintained in their normal angular inclinations during their forward-rearward movements except for the turning movement of the back 2 about the rod 24 Figure 6 diagrammatically illustrates another modified construction in which the rollers 260i Figures l4 are replaced by sectors l turnably mounted on studs 27 on the standards 3 In this construction the mechanical action is the same as in the construction shown in Figures 1-4.

Figure '7 illustrates still another modification in which the parts of the chair are identical to those shown in Figure 6 except that the upper surface of the sector I isnot concentric with themounting stud 27 but is of cammed formation so as to eiTect a rise and fall of the rearward end of the carrier E2 and the action is equivalent to. that of themodification shown in Figure 5.

It will be understood that the ways 38 the rollers 26 or the sectors 1 may be given any desired cammed formation so .as to effect, within prescribed limits, the desired angular inclination of the chair seat and back during their forwardrearward movements.

While but several specific embodiments of the invention have been herein shown and described, it will also be understood that numerous details of the constructions shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

Weclaim:

1. In a chair, spaced standards, a pair of supporting-links each having its lower end pivotally connected to one of said standards, a pair of carriers each pivotally connected at its forward end to the upper end of a supporting link, guides on the standards for movably supporting the rearward ends of said carriers, a seat mounted on the carriers, aback pivotallymounted on the carriers, a backactuating link pivotally connected to the back and to one of said supporting links, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of said supporting links.

2. In a chair, spaced standards, a pair of supporting links each having its lower-end pivotally connected to one of said standards; a pair of carriers each pivotally connected at its forward end to theupper end of a supporting link, guides on the standards for movably supporting the rearward ends oi said carriers, 2. seat mounted on the carriers, a back pivotally mounted on the carriers, a back actuating link pivotally connected to the back and to one of said supporting links, the pivotal connection between said back actuating link and its supporting link being adjustable to vary the angular inclination ofthe back, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of said supporting links.

3. In a chair, spaced standards, a pair of'supporting links each having its lower end pivotally connected to one of said standards, a pair of carriers each pivotally connected at its forward end to the upper end of a supporting link and each, having a way thereon, guides turnably mounted on the standards engaging in said ways for forwardly-rearwardiy movably supporting the rearwardends of said carriers, the engaging surfaces, of said ways and said turnably mounted guides being formed so as to eiiect a camming of the rearward ends of the carrierstoward and away from the guides axis of turning movement and thus, vary the angular inclination of said carriers during their forward and rearward movements, a seat mounted on the carriers, a back pivotally mounted on the carriers, a back actuating link pivotally connected to the back and to one of said supporting links, and stop means for: limiting the forward and rearward movements of said supporting. links.

JOSEPH G. PROSSER. THOMAS W, PROSSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,226,861 Hanson Dec. 31, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 194,961 Great Britain.s. Mar. 22, 1923 726,797 France Mar; 14, 1932 

